Prince Philip due to have hip operation today
It is understood the joint has been troubling the 96-year-old for about a month.
Wednesday 4 April 2018 09:08, UK
The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to hospital for a planned operation on his hip, Buckingham Palace has said.
The 96-year-old is being cared for at the private King Edward VII Hospital in central London, where the procedure will take place.
It is understood the prince has been having trouble with his hip for about a month.
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The Duke did not accompany the Queen to church at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Easter Sunday because of the hip problem.
It is understood he missed an annual Maundy Service in Windsor on Thursday because of the same issue.
The day before, however, he was spotted driving in Windsor Great Park, leading to speculation that the problem was not particularly serious.
He also reportedly pulled out of an official engagement with the Queen and Duke of York at Windsor Castle last month.
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Asked about any potential concerns, orthopaedic surgeon Scarlett McNally said "any operation and any anaesthetic carries some risk".
But she added: "What is most important is someone's fitness, as in their heart and lung fitness, how much exercise they do and how well nourished they are.
"That's more important than someone's chronological age."
Anaesthetics and physiotherapy will be carefully planned ahead of surgery, she added.
While he does still attend events with the Queen on occasion, the Prince stepped down from public duties last summer.
When the announcement was made, Buckingham Palace said the decision had not been taken on health grounds.
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The Prince has been in good health for most of his life and only began to suffer a series of scares when he was 87:
:: 2008: Philip was admitted to hospital for a chest infection and was discharged three days later.
:: 2011: Two days before Christmas, Philip was taken to hospital from Sandringham with chest pains. He had surgery and was discharged four days later.
:: 2012: During the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations Philip was taken to hospital with a bladder infection and discharged five days later. Two months later the infection recurred and he was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
:: 2013: Philip had an exploratory operation on his abdomen, spending 11 days in hospital.
:: 2014: Philip appeared in public with a bandaged right hand after a "minor procedure".
:: 2017: The Prince was taken to hospital with an infection.